IABG Offers IT Security Certificate in accordance with German Information Security Agency Basic Protection Guidelines

Companies and public administration agencies are increasingly being put under pressure. More and more customers and partners, who have business contacts with them, expect that they can prove, for their IT integrated system, the implementation of all necessary security standards measures and a defined IT security level within their IT infrastructure.

This has been recognised by the <link https: www.bsi.bund.de de home home_node.html external-link-new-window externen link in neuem>German Information Security Agency (GISA), which at the beginning of the year introduced a Security Certificate on the basis of the generally recognised IT Security Handbook. The certificate can be obtained by companies and governmental agencies if the integrated IT system meets the requirements for basic protection and this is confirmed by an independent licensed auditor. As an intermediate step there is also the possibility of a self-declaration which can be submitted by the respective organisation itself and can be, if requested, substantiated by the appraisal of an auditor.

Interested parties can, since July 2002, also be audited by a GISA-approved basic protection auditor, by IABG. Companies/agencies which have obtained a positive audit receive, analogously to quality or environmental management certificates, an IT security certificate valid for two years issued by GISA. This IT security certificate documents cogently compliance with the security measures. It strengthens the relationship of trust with customers and business partners and documents over and above this the investments made in IT security. IT experts expect that the possession of such a security certificate will, in the medium term, be linked to noticeable competitive advantages.

This insight is not illusory but results in the final instance from long years of experience. IABG has long been a GISA-accredited and licensed tester for IT systems and products in accordance with internationally recognised 'Common Criteria' evaluation criteria and compiles IT security concepts for many companies and governmental agencies.